Driving mechanism for knitting-machines.



G. L. BALLARD.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES; APPLICATION FILED AP11.25,1911.

- Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1 111mb, I Rvenwn Georgegl .flallwr I e. L. BALLABD.DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES. I r 1,050,787.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1911.

PatntedJan. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ifwentor. 9 6 L'. Ba/Z'Za G. L. BALLARD. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 11.25, 1911.

' Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r 2W: Y

Ifivenior; Q W0C. 7% a George L Ballard,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

enoncn LAWSON BALLARD, or Noams'rowN, PENNSYLVANIA, nssmuon 'ro WILD-MAN MFG. 00., or NORRISTOWN, rEnnsYLvANm.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

speeification of Letters lPatent. Application filed A ril 25, 1 11.serall'm. 628,259.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

To all whom z'tmay concern Be it known that I, GEORGE Lawson BAL- LARD,subject of the Kin of Great Britain, residing at Norristown,Tennsylvanizn'have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inDriving Mechanism for Kmtting- Machines, of WhlCh the following is aspecification. v

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theclaims. i

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a let off and drive mechanismembodying my invention; Fig. 2' is a sectional view across the driveshaft substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.1, parts being shown indotted lines; Figiisa/reareview of tlid invention;Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8and 9 are views of details.

In these drawings, 1 is the drive shaft of the knitting machine having agear 2 thereon for drivm the machine; This shaft has a bearing in t emachine frame atits inner end and at its outer end it bears in a sleeve3 fixed ina bracket 4. This shaft has fixed thereto a hand wheel 5,while the belt pulley 6 is loosely and slidably mounted on the saidsleeve. This pulle has a. grooved hub 7 receiving the let 0 fork 8,which is mounted upon a rod 9 guided in the bracket, and pressed by aspring 10 to move the pulley to the left, Fig. 3, to withdraw the clutchblocks 11 from engagement with the clutch blocks 12 to stop drivlng. Theclutch blocks 11 are carried by a flange or ring 13 fixed to or formedwith the pulley hub. When the blocks are in engagement, as shown in Fig.3, the power from the pulley is transmitted through these blocks, thecarrier of the blocks 12 consisting of: the ratchet wheel 13', which isloose on the shaft, but which carries around with it a friction band 14by means of the pin 15 on said ratchet wheel, the said friction bandengaging a drum 16 the hub 16 of which is pinned to the shaft 1 at 17,Figs. 2 and 9. The shaft 1 is thus driven through the friction band anddrum from the belt pulley when the clutch pins are in engagement, asshown in the drawings.

For holding the parts set in their driv-' mg positions. just mentioned,a hand lever is used composed of a main part 18 mounted on a pin 19fixed in the frame bracket .20 supported on the bed of the machine, saidhand lever having a, gripportion 21 to be grasped by the hand pivoted at22 to'the main part of the hand lever. To an upwardly extendin arm 23 ofthis-grip or handle is pivoted a latch 24 guided in a bearing 25 of theman part of the handf'lever," it being'pressed" by asprifi'g 26in saidbearing outward away from the mai'npart of' the lever. This .latch-.,,24 rests upon acatch pin 27 carried by a leveror arm28 mounted on avertical rock shaft 29 joiir nzgeinthe bracket 20, said rockshaft havingan arm 30"at its up er end extending to a' point to be struckandoperated by the stop motion device on the knitting head WhlCh acts forinstance when any one of the threads breaks, thus turning the rock shaftand horizontal arm 28,- withdrawing the catch 27 from the latch 24 andallowing the hand lever to fall. This hand lever, when up in theposition shown, holds the driving clutch in position to drive by meansof the link 31 connected to the rear arm 18" of the hand lever, and toan arm of a bell crank lever 32, which controls the clutch fork -8 abovedescribed. When now the hand lever is released by withdrawing the catch27, the spring 10 will operate the clutch fork and unclutch the drivemechanism. This will take place when the shaft 29 is turned by thestop'motion or detector devices. The let oil" can also be operated byhand at any time by the operator tipping the grip or handle21downwardly, thus drawing the latch bar 24 to the left in 2 from ofi thecatch pin.

When the let off is operated by the turning of the shaft or rod 29, thearm 28"of thehorizontal lever will carry a catch pin 27 under the reararm 18 of the hand lever. at the sametime that the catch pin 27 is re'moved from said hand lever, and this will. prevent the clutch from beingthrown in until after the stop motion connections have been reset, 2'.e.,the shaft 29 and arm 30, ready to be operated again on the occurrenceof a broken thread or other imperfection in the the pawl comes against aslide 41 guided in work. This resetting action will withdraw an arm 42on the fixed pin 19, and pivotally the rear catch 27' frombeneath thehand leconnected at 43 with the forward arm 28 of ver, and set theforward catch 27 in line the horizontal lever, so that while the pawlabove the latch 24, but as this latch has a 36 will drop part way downwhen the hand 70 beveled upper surface at its end Figs. 1 and lever islowered to unclutch, it will still be 8, and as the catch pin is beveledon its held just free of the teeth of the ratchet by under side, thelatch will ride over the end the pin 40 engaging the slide 41 which thusofthe catch pin, its joint at 22 being sufiiforms a stop for the detent.Should, howciently loose to allow slight lateral moveever, the machinebe unclutched by the op- 75 ment, and then the spring 26 causes thelatch eration of the stop motion, the same moveto snap over the catchpin to rest thereon, ment of the horizontal lever 28 which reand supportthe hand lever up With the, leases the hand lever 18 will withdraw thedriving clutch thrown in. contact edge 41 of the slide which acted asThe movement of the hand grip 21 in rea stop for the pawl pin when thehand le- 30 spect to the main part of the hand lever 18 ver was operatedmanually, so that now the islimited by a pm 33 on an arm or lug saidpawl may drop all the way down and of said grip engaging the walls of arecess enter a tooth on the ratchet and hold it, toin the side face ofthe main part of the gether with the band which new acts as a my arm.brake to the revolution of the drum and 35 In order to place a certaindegree of reshaft. Now this slide also insures that the straint. uponthe horizontal lever 28, 28, stop motion be reset at the same time thatwith its catches and its rock shaft- 29 and the control of the pawl isresumed, that is, arm 30 toholdthese parts in either poSithe-control tohold it up for releasing the iffi o'ntbwlficfitheymiay-bendjustedbut-yeL b gke so that the machine can not bestarted to allow them to be readily operated when without setting thestop motion. For this sufiicient power is applied, a spring detentpurpose I pivoton the slide 41 a finger lepin 34 is spring mountedvinthe arm 20 of ver 44 of bell crank form, lateral pressure the bracket20, its inclined end engaging against the finger piece 45 of which inthe 30 the inclined end of an arm 35 fixed to the arrow direction, Fig.1, will first lift the lever'28, 28". pavM; engaging its pin 40 andthen, as the It will be seen from the above that the swingirig movementof the finger lever is clutch can be thrown by hand by simply limited byits edge 46 striking the Edge of pressing down a forward pivoted portionthe slide, further pressure on the finger le- 35 -of the hand lever,thus retracting the latch ver will move the slide as a whole to the 24from ofi the catch 27 and thus the whole right, Fig. 1, to bring itsstop edge 41 in hand lever can fall and allow the spring 10 front of thepawl pin 40, and this same above mentioned to throw the clutch out.movement will reset the stop motion connec- The same thing will occurwhen the stop tions, 0., will set the lever 28, 28 so that 40 motionshaft 29 is operated, for then the the catch 27 will be in the positionof Fig. horizontal lever 28, 28, will turn and re- 1 ready to engage andhold the hand lever tract the catch pin, freeing the hand lever up whenthis is lifted manually to start the and allowing the spring 10 to act.machine.

v The band or friction member 14 which I claim as my invention 45 drivesthe drum 16 and consequently the 1. In combination in a let-ofi' forknitting shaft 1 also acts as a brake when the let-off machines, a driveshaft, clutch members for is operated and the clutchthrown out. Thedriving the same, a friction member connecratchet 13' is controlled to.make this band tion between one clutch member and the act as a drive oras a brake as the case may drive shaft, a ratchet wheel connected with50 be. As long as this ratchet is rotating, the said friction member andclutch member, a 11s band will drive through the drum, but if it detentfor on aging the ratchet to make the is arrested then the band will actasa brake. friction member act as a brake, and means For arresting theratchet, a detent or pawl for controlling the clutch and said detent,'36 is provided pivoted on the pin 19, the substantially as described.

55 said pawl being pressed by a spring 37 tend- 2. In combination, in alet-off for knitting ing to force it into the ratchet, but whenmachines, a drive shaft, a clutch compristhe machine is running, thepawl is held up ing the two members one of which is shiftby a pin 38 onthe hand lever engaging unable to and fromthe other, a friction mem-..der a pin 39 on the pawl. Should the hand her, a ratchet wheelconnected thereto and 60 lever be lowered by the attendant so that toone of the clutch members, a detent for the clutch is thrown out, it isdesirable to controlling the ratchet wheel, a hand lever still keep thedetent up, and consequently with connections for operating the clutchand thebrake off, so that the machine may be the detent, a stop for thedetent to retain it turned over by hand by operating the hand inactivewhen the hand lever is manually op 65 wheel 5, and for this purpose apin 40 on erated to release the clutch so that the brake will be heldoff, and stop motion connections for withdrawing the said stop andpermitting the detent to engage the ratchet and set the friction member,said connections also controlling the throwing out of the clutch,substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination in a let-off for knitting machines, a clutch member, afriction member connected with one clutch member to drive the shaft,detent means to prevent rotation of the friction member and thereby forma brake, stop motion means for setting the detent means for the brakingeffect, connections operated by the stop motion means for throwing theclutchmembers apart, and a resetting device for-the stop motion means,said device also withdrawing thedetent means to release the brake,substantially as described.

4. In combination in a let-off for knitting ,machines, clutch members, afriction mema friction driving member to impart movement to the saidshaft from one clutch memher, a detent for said clutch member to arrestthe same with the friction member to make the latter act asabrake, astop for the .detent, stop motion connections leading to said stop andconnections controlling the clutch from said stop motion, a manuallyoperated device for releasing thedetent to I take off the brake, saiddevice, by the same movement, resetting the stop motion connections,substantially as described. I

6. In combination in a let-off for knitting machines, a shaft, clutchmembers, one of which has a friction member for driving the shaft, aratchet also connected with said clutch member, a detent for holding thesaid ratchet, a hand lever with connections therefrom to the clutch,said hand lever having means for holding the detent released, a stopmotion controlled catch for holding the hand lever in position forthe'clutch to drive, means for manually releasing the hand lever fromits catch to open the clutch, and a stop for the detent to prevent thesetting of the brake when the hand lever is manually released,substantially as described.

7'. In combination in a let-ofi' for knitting machines, a shaft, clutchmembers, one of which has a friction member for driving the shaft, aratchet also connected with said clutch member, a detent for holding thesaid ratchet, a hand lever with connections therefrom to the clutch,said hand 'lever havingmeans for holding the detent released, a stopmotion'controlled catch for holding the hand lever in position for theclutchv to drive, means for manually'relea'sing the hand lever from itscatch to open the clutch, and a stop for the detent to prevent thesetting of the brake when the hand lever is manually released, said stopbeing withdrawn when the catch is removed from the hand lever by thestop motion connections to allow the brake to be set, substantially asdescribed.

7 8. In combination in a let-off for knitting machines, a shaft, clutchmembers, one of which has a friction member for driving the shaft, aratchet also connected with said clutch member, a detent for holding thesaid ratchet, a hand lever with connections therefrom to the clutch,said hand lever having means for holding the detent released, a stopmotion controlled catch for holding the. hand lever in position for theclutch to drive, means for manually releasing the hand lever from itscatch to open the clutch, a. stop for the detent to prevent the settingof the brake when the hand lever is manually released, said stop beingwithdrawn when the. catchis removed from the hand lever by the stopmotion connections to allow the brake to be set, and a finger leverpivoted to the stop having limited swinging movement for withdrawing thedetent, and having bodily movement with the stop to reset thestopmot-ion connections and to set the stop in front of the detent,substantially as described. a

9. In combination in let-off mechanism for knitting machines, a shaft, aclutch,a hand lever connected thereto, a friction device driving theshaft from one of the clutch members, a detent to make said frictiondevice act as a brake, a connection from the hand lever to the detentfor lifting the same, a stop for said detent, stop motion connectionscontrolling said stop, a catch conitrolle'd by said stop motionconnections for holding the hand lever with the clutch set when the stopmotion is set, and a second catch controlled by the stop motionconnection to prevent movement of the lever for throwing in the clutchafter the stop motion connections have operated, substantially asdescribed.

10. In combination in a let-01f for knitting machines, a shaft, clutchmembers, a hand. lever pivoted intermediate of its length andcontrolling the'clutch members, and a stop motion connection for holdingthe lever in both its position for driving and its position for stoppingsaid stop motion connection consisting of a vertical rock shaft havingarms extending therefrom in opposite directions, catches'on. the arms,one lying adjacent the hand lever in front of its pivot and the otherlying adjacent the hand lever in rear of its pivot, and a latch carriedby the hand lever to removably engage the front catch,

5 said latch being operated manually to free the hand lever from thefront catch, substantially as described.

GEORGE LAWSON BALLARD.

Witnesses;

E. R. ROBERTS, EDITH C. FRICK.

